ED: We’ve got a little cover that you can put over the inlet there when you’re not using it. When I don’t put that cover on, it’s got a very, very, very bad smell to it; very noxious, garbagey, food decay smell to it. I have put baking soda in it and washed it, run it. I’ve put distilled white vinegar; even put a little bleach in it and let it set overnight but it doesn’t seem to really have solved the problem. What do you suggest?

TOM: Well, typically, that’s happening because of a biofilm that gets …

LESLIE: Mm-hmm, like the organic material that sort of just builds up.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Yeah, it adheres to the inside of the disposer, it adheres to the inside of the pipes and you really need to get that clean. You know there’s a product that’s used in pest control called Bio Drain or Bio-Gel.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm, it’s for drain flies, usually.

TOM: Mm-hmm. And it does a good job of breaking down that biofilm and eliminates the odors and it’s also effective on drain flies, fruit flies, things of that nature. Because they’ll often breed on that.

ED: Uh-huh, right. Just any hardware place?

TOM: Yeah, a hardware store or home center. You know you certainly could order it online. But that’s the trick there. You need to get rid of that biofilm that’s attaching itself to the inside of the drain pipes. I think that’s where the odor is sourcing. You know assuming it was all installed correctly and you have a proper trap and everything, that’s probably the next best reason that it’s happening.